Is this feeling very common among y'all?

[Christinedreamer]

Although I consider myself a CD to some extent (very few fully dressed /made-up excursions) just around the house. I found that even as a teenager I was very attracted to CDs/TGs and TS ladies. Males who appear as men hold zero interest for me and I am not really interested in a sexual encounter. I just enjoy the company and being a chivalrous gentleman. I did date a professional FI in the Washington DC area and we did have a "relationship" but even when she was not en femme as a performer, I still regarded her as innately feminine and lady-like. I have also had a long term relationship with a star from the old Queen mary showroom. We never did anything of a "personal" nature but just being with her and necking put me on cloud nine.

I KNOW the "plumbing" is there and that is is male, BUT I am attracted to the person, not the plumbing.

Perhaps as I am quite ordinary looking -aside from being a big guy- and being a techno geek in the professional audio visual business all my life sort of kept me away from opportunities to attract ladies and the TS folks were also frequently outsiders on the social scene, we kind of gravitated towards each other.

Anyone else in this conundrum?

BTW, clownish drag queens are NOT attractive in any way. In fact they repulse me. True female impersonators are a different story.

[Jenniferathome]

nope. never. not into dudes, wrote the dude in a dress.

[Katey888]

Hi Christine - there's been a few threads around about this lately, and it's a question that intrigues me - from a purely academic perspective as I don't have any attraction towards men in any form of presentation - so, I'm not in your conundrum, I'm afraid.
I can understand your proposition that you are attracted to the person, and that when that individual expresses a female persona, you are being attracted to that aspect, even when the individual is not dressed. Perhaps you are just of a nature where you naturally don't care about the anatomical gender, but see what the individual's true nature is?

Don't ask me how to categorise that though... And forgive the question, but in this context you've described, do you consider yourself bi..?
BTW - I think a valid answer could be no..

Interesting... Katey x

[Adriana Moretti]

yes...lotta these threads popping up...then amazingly disappearing.. ..hope we can keep the labels,gender bashing,and sexual orientation opinions in order this time...play nice.

[Barbie Anne]

While I can appreciate feminine beauty in either sex, I am only attracted to genetic girls. But after having lived 49 years with at least 40 of them knowing I was not "normal" by societal standards, I DO NOT JUDGE
Being comfortable in your own skin is key, and to hell with what other people think. Life's too short to care about other people's interpretation of you. If you're happy with who and what you are that's what counts.
By the way I love that dress and used to have a similar one in baby pink with white trim/petticoats

[AndreaCD1963]

I think in this case, if you were to affix a label to it, what you are describing is "pansexual".

"The concept of pansexuality rejects the gender binary, the "notion of two genders and indeed of specific sexual orientations", as pansexual people are open to relationships with people who do not identify as strictly men or women"

To answer the original question - I wouldn't call it a conundrum, but rather a choice. So no, I don't see myself in that "conundrum" at all.

[RADER]

I like girls, and girls clothes, in short anything female, and female only.
Thats just me.
Rader

[LenGray]

Don't know if I'm in your situation or not, but...

I dress as a boy and am attracted to both sexes, though I prefer androgynous types. Men that look feminine or women that look masculine. I don't really know what to classify myself as though lol

I feel as though my relationships with women have been far more healthy than my relationships with men but all in all, I don't decide who I'm going to be in a relationship with based off of whether they're a man or woman. However, I'm not attracted to manly men or femme women in the least. *shrug*

I suppose it's whatever floats your boat

[ReineD]

Here's an interesting article:

Men Who Might Like MtFs

The author is Alice Novic (aka Dr. Richard Novic), a psychiatrist who lives in LA. Alice leads an openly trans life and is the author of "Alice in Genderland: A Crossdresser Comes of Age".

[Jenniferathome]

I can't buy into any of this Reine. She chooses her own definition of gay:

"“But aren’t all admirers really gay?” the most naive among us ask. “Certainly not,” I say. The word gay, at least according to gay people, describes something very specific: men attracted men—in male form. It does not describe any man who does anything non-straight,"

By the transitive property then, a gay man, one who readily admits he is gay but finds a MtF cross dresser attractive, is NOT GAY! Come on. That's nonsense. This woman is clearly building a defense mechanism to justify her lifestyle. Too convenient. And to the gay men here who are cross dressers and/or date cross dressers, bad news: you are now straight. Go figure.

[Katey888]

Jennifer - I don't think the article is that explicit and please let's not get into one of those off-topic, logicial positivism arguments... We've all got opinions but let's see if we can hear some more... (I'm interested in this thread staying open, like Adriana implied earlier...)

Thank you...

Katey x

[FairyLink]

I am attracted to male plumbing and disgusted by female plumbing. I don't really want to go into detail because last time I posted on one of these threads it disappeared and I don't know if it's because of something I said because I'm new here. I am attracted to genetic males only, but in all forms including dressed up. I would never be with a trans person for the possibility of plumbing change.

Even though sex isn't that important to me, for most people it's a deal breaker. This means that I can't ever be with anyone who has female parts or plans to,have female parts in the future because they will be sexually frustrated due to lack of.

I hope I didn't say anything offensive. I am truly sorry if I did.

[Kate Simmons]

I usually cut to the chase as I'm empathic, that is sense the feelings of others. When I care for someone I care for them as a person and their feelings. These are no textbooks to explain this, you either feel it or you don't. In any case, the plumbing has very little to do with it per se, it's mostly the person I care for.

[ReineD]

I can't buy into any of this Reine. She chooses her own definition of gay

Jennifer, I don't think Alice is saying that gay men who like MtFs are not gay. Actually, how many gay men do like MtFs? Aren't most of them attracted to men who look like men? We had a long running and well attended thread some years ago in which many of our gay members participated. Most of them said that they experienced just as many difficulties getting their boyfriends to accept the CDing as do hetero CDers who are married to GGs.

At any rate, Alice classifies men who like MtFs into three major categories:

1) straight men who can tolerate our being trans, (bisexuals?)
2a) admirers who perceive us as women with some sort of advantage
2b) admirers drawn to us because they are trans at heart.

There's a lot more to it and I found the article educational.

[JazT95]

This question is a funny one for me. I consider myself to be bisexual, but I only find men attractive when dressed as a girl and vice versa - like I switch between personalities or something. I hope that makes sense, don't ask me to explain it any better because in truth, I don't understand it at all

But to answer your initial question, I don't find other CDs or TSs attractive at all.

[Taylor Ray]

As a bisexual cross dresser I am attracted to both genders and both types of plumbing. I am attracted to men dressed as men and men dressed as women, as well as women dressed as women and women dressed as men.

Maybe we attempt to "categorize" ourselves to help make sense of our world? It is freeing to just be who we are.

[Christinedreamer]

Interesting array of responses. I am not sure I would classify myself as gay or pansexual though. Guys or girls who LOOK/act like stereotypical males do nothing for me at all. Unlike some here, I am rapidly drawn to feminine women and males. NOT effeminate but genuinely feminine. BIG difference.

[Erica Marie]

Ok. So it seems we all must live by titles or we cant live any more. Crossdresser, transgender, bisexual, gay, lesbian, straight, redneck, republican, democrat, NFC, AFC, American League, National League. Do we have to be something.

Cant we just be ourselves?

I have no idea what I am. A male body with a half male/female brain. I like to present both ways when I can and I enjoy the company of ggs and tgs alike. If anyone can please pinpoint what I am or how I fit in, I would be more than happy to hear the answer.

[lovetobedani]

I find the beauty in an attractive well dressed TG/TS/CD as female would another female. Call me a lesbian but, I'm only sexually attracted to GG's or I could be to a post op TS. Males are not attractive to me on any level.

[Beverley Sims]

Every body who have replied here have unique interests.
I am a female admirer and not into men at all.
I just like the clothes.

[Samantha_Smile]

This kind of question seems to crop up a lot.
And here's my spin on the matter.
If a person presents as an attractive female, then they are (in the eye of the beholder) an attractive female.
If a crossdressed male is convincing to the point of sexual attraction, so be it.

I'm not attracted to men or masculinity. From my own way of life and personal experience, men smell bad, are not pretty, do not dress well, and have stubble etc etc.
But on occasion, I've seen pictures of 'girls' I later found out to be trans in some way (-vestite, -gender or -sexual) and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't physically attracted to them.
Does that mean I'm gay? Probably not, maybe a slight percentage bi.
As the OP, Christine said;
"I KNOW the "plumbing" is there and that is is male, BUT I am attracted to the person, not the plumbing. "

I think it comes down to whether you have your own personal insecurities and problems with your sexuality.
If you embrace the fact that you might be a tiny bit Bi in terms of black and white genders, then you have no problems, just accept it and move on.
If this means time for personal reflection on the matter, then take it.
Go look at porn on the net and see what floats you boat.

I wish you all the best -x-

[Hell on Heels]

I'm not into guys at all, but comfortable enough to admit that I can recognize a good looking guy.
He may not be good looking to you or anyone else, who knows what we each consider to be attractive.
The same could be said for the GG's I meet.
I'm not quite sure what the conundrum is, if your attraction turns into a relationship with that person,
why would you care if that person were Gay, Straight, Lesbian, Bi, or Trans. You could be missing out on something special.
Much Love,
Kristyn

[ElisabethK]

For me I would say I'm not attracted to men (or masculinity) at any time. However, I do like the idea of doing "double crossdressing" with a female parter (dressing masculine and taking that role). I only have an interest in that while dressed though, and I've always attributed it to being a way to feeling more feminine and taking that role more.

[Lynn Marie]

I have a dozen CD girlfriends and maybe another dozen CD acquaintances. I see them all as females. This is common for all of us. Sexualy I'm partial to women, but my CD friends have a lot less baggage!

[docrobbysherry]

At a private T friendly party.

She's quite fem in her face, voice, and has breast implants. Been on hormones for some time and says she'll have SRS when she can afford it.

The rest of her figure is not very fem. I find I'm not attracted to her but, fascinated with how fem her mannerisms, thot, and speech r. When we fooled around, it felt like I was with a woman.

I'm pretty homophobic when it comes to sexual attraction. So much so that I go to great extremes to avoid anything male appearing in my mirror.

I can't really explain this anomaly!